06/06/2023
New developments to TitlePage, the Australian publishing industry's book pricing and availability service, have increased access to product data through a new display, browser extension, and APIs for booksellers and publishers.
Managed and delivered by the Australian Publishers Association, TitlePage provides booksellers and librarians in Australia and New Zealand access to bibliographic data, stock and pricing information for over 1.5 million titles from 180 Australian publishers and distributors.
New display for TitlePage
The new look of product records within TitlePage offers a clean and modern view of book data, and more importantly increases the data available to booksellers and librarians.
This new display means viewers can browse up to 1000 fields of bibliographic information. Little of this data has previously been available on TitlePage, presenting new opportunities for both booksellers and publishers.
Booksellers and librarians can now access much more detailed information about books and their authors, while publishers have new ways to easily share additional materials and resources to support their titles. The new display prioritises the information booksellers need most frequently, while allowing easy navigation to more detailed supporting information.
The work has been in development for over a year, with booksellers providing feedback over the past 9 months as the new display was tested. Booksellers have been very receptive to the new display, and the increased data available at their fingertips.
Gavin Williams, co-owner of 2023 ABIA Bookshop of the Year Matilda Bookshop, is delighted by these display developments:
'The new display is a leap forward. It's a big improvement, and good to see enriched book data being made so much more readily available.'
Enhancing access to TitlePage data
Alongside the new display, the Australian Publishers Association has also launched new ways to access TitlePage data, including updated APIs and a browser extension.
Supported by the Australian Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, this first stage of API development extends access to a wide range of TitlePage data and functionality.
These improvements support TitlePage as the publishing industry's central hub for reliable product information, making it even easier for other websites, platforms, and e-commerce solutions to access or link to Australian book data.
These improvements are particularly important for booksellers, with Gavin Williams adding:
'It's exciting to see this investment in the TitlePage experience and the potential for faster, more accurate supply information that these updates offer. I hope publishers recognise the value to bookshops of richer and more accurate supply information, especially real-time updates, and take advantage of this new capability.'
APIs
The API developments mean that booksellers, directly or through their Point of Sale provider, benefit from more flexible access to TitlePage data.
This includes new release and promotional information or resources, and the wealth of comprehensive metadata that TitlePage can now display.
Booksellers can also now provide TitlePage with their own availability information, which could help connect readers more easily with products at their local bookshops. More information on this initiative will be announced in coming months
For publishers the new API services also present opportunities for real-time stock and supply chain updates, a highly requested feature from booksellers.
Browser extension, searching and linking
While API access might be beyond some users, the redevelopments are enabling new ways for the industry to easily access TitlePage as the central source of book information.
TitlePage Express is a browser extension that brings TitlePage data to daily internet use. When installed, an icon appears next to ISBNs found online with the TitlePage Express extension providing quick access to key bibliographic data and images from TitlePage. The TitlePage Express extension is now available in the Chrome Web Store, which is also available on Microsoft Edge.
There’s also now enhanced functionality for searching and linking, designed to provide faster, easier, and more seamless access to TitlePage data.
We've optimised the platform to allow effortless linking back to TitlePage records, while new search functions allow you to search TitlePage directly from your browser's address bar – creating a ‘book search engine’.
Further developments ahead
These new developments are the visible part of the ongoing evolution of TitlePage, with most changes happening behind the scenes – particularly with further API development.
Michael Gordon-Smith, CEO of the Australian Publishers Association, said of the new developments:
'We’re grateful for the Australian Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) funding for supporting this crucial infrastructure development.
The APIs lay the foundation to further support the Australian publishing industry’s supply chain. They present exciting opportunities for future development, opening up TitlePage data to a variety of new uses and users.'
More information
To learn more about these developments, visit the following pages:
TitlePage is an initiative of the Australian Publishers Association, and has been in operation since 2004. The TitlePageExpress extension and API development has been supported by Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative.